Benthos Taxa

Overview

The taxa_info.benthos table provides standardized taxonomy and functional trait classifications for all benthic organisms observed in Pristine Seas surveys. It serves as the reference backbone for Line Point Intercept (LPI) surveys and coral recruitment assessments, harmonizing field identifications with authoritative taxonomic sources and assigning ecological roles.

What’s Covered

This table includes sessile benthic taxa: hard and soft corals, macroalgae, turf algae, crustose coralline algae (CCA), cyanobacteria, sponges, and other invertebrates. Mobile invertebrates (e.g., sea cucumbers, urchins) are documented in taxa_info.inverts.

Core Functions

  • Taxonomic Resolution

    Reconciles field-recorded morphotaxa (e.g., “Acropora branching”, “Brown macroalgae”) with accepted scientific names. Handles identification to genus or family when species-level ID is uncertain.

  • Functional Classification

    Assigns benthic organisms to functional groups (e.g., hard_coral, macroalgae, cca, turf) based on ecological role and morphology. Supports analyses of reef composition, percent cover by functional group, and habitat condition.

  • Cross-Dataset Integration

    Links observations across survey methods through accepted_aphia_id, enabling comparisons of coral cover from LPI surveys, coral recruitment quadrats, and photomosaics.

Data Sources

  • Pristine Seas Field Records

    Morphotaxa derived from diver field sheets, and LPI point intercept classifications. Records span Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic expeditions from 2015–2024.

  • World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)

    Provides the taxonomic backbone: accepted AphiaIDs, scientific names, synonyms, and full hierarchical classification (kingdom → species). Ensures consistency with global marine biodiversity databases.

  • Literature and Expert Review

    Functional group assignments follow Kike Ballesteros legacy data with validation by expedition ecologists.

Structure

Taxonomy

These fields define the accepted scientific identity and taxonomic lineage of each record (Table 1).

Table 1: Taxonomic lineage fields for benthic taxa in the Pristine Seas Database.
Field Type Required Description
taxon_name STRING true Original name associated with field observations.
aphia_id INTEGER true WoRMS AphiaID corresponding to the input taxon name.
rank STRING true Taxonomic rank of the record (species, genus, or family).
status STRING true Taxonomic status according to WoRMS.
accepted_name STRING true Valid scientific name (Genus species), standardized using WoRMS.
accepted_aphia_id INTEGER true Unique WoRMS identifier for the accepted name.
genus STRING false Genus of the accepted name.
family STRING false Family of the accepted name.
order STRING false Order of the accepted name.
class STRING false Class of the accepted name.
phylum STRING true Phylum of the accepted name.
kingdom STRING true Kingdom of the accepted name.

Functional groups

Benthic taxa are classified into standardized functional groups based on morphology, ecology, and taxonomic identity:

Corals

  • hard_coral — Scleractinian reef-building corals
  • soft_coral — Octocorals and gorgonians

Macroalgae

  • algae_erect — Erect fleshy macroalgae (Caulerpa, Halimeda, Sargassum)
  • algae_encrusting — Low-growing encrusting forms (Peyssonnelia, Ralfsia)
  • kelp — Large brown algae (Laminariales, Fucales)

Algal Turfs & Films

  • cca — Crustose coralline algae
  • turf — Short filamentous algal turfs (<1 cm)
  • cyanobacteria — Cyanobacterial mats and films

Seagrass

  • seagrass — Marine flowering plants (Zostera, Thalassia, Posidonia)

Sessile Invertebrates

  • sponges — Porifera
  • bryozoans — Colonial bryozoans
  • ascidians — Tunicates and sea squirts
  • hydrozoans — Fire corals and hydrocorals
  • other_cnidarians — Anemones, zoanthids, corallimorphs

Abiotic Substrate

  • sand — Unconsolidated sediment
  • rubble — Coral rubble and fragments
  • rock — Bare rock or pavement

Conservation Status (IUCN)

The taxa_info.benthos table includes fields derived from the IUCN Red List to support biodiversity assessments and conservation planning. Each species is matched to its most recent listing (SIS ID) and assigned a standardized category (e.g., LC, NT, VU, EN, CR)

By The Numbers

The taxa_info.benthos table contains 840 entries, representing 774 unique taxa across 142 families (Figure 1). The majority of records are hard corals, with 421 taxa.

Taxonomic Composition

Figure 1: Number of species by family and functional group